Mental health has been one of the most exhausting and crippling conditions health institutions have been managing and exploring. The great prevalence of this issue has brought different creative interventions and so far are very helpful to the growing number of patients.
For some people, traditional treatments like psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, cognitive-behavior therapy, and so on are not already giving them the best results. Others have even gained resistance to drug medications. These are some of the reasons why continuous research and therapies are meticulously implemented.
The World Health Organization has noted about 280 million individuals have depression worldwide. And it is known to everyone that Covid-19 has even contributed to a drastic increase in depression globally. People have to deal with the uncertainties and threats of the pandemic.
In order to give a solution, strengthened methodologies are developed to address the hardships faced by mental health patients. This gave rise to non-invasive therapies and a very popular one is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy.
The incorporation of TMS therapy in the course of treatment gave successful feedback. It alleviated the signs and symptoms and even treated many kinds of psychological issues, specifically depression.
In this article, let’s check how TMS therapy has helped transform and restored back the happy and productive lives of many sufferers.
Modernizations in TMS Technology
TMS procedure basically incorporates magnetic pulses in pinpoint areas of the brain that were compromised. These areas are then activated producing improvements in the condition as it lessens the signs and symptoms.
TMS has made strides in treating mental health challenges and these advancements have reduced the course of treatment. It raised the number of recoveries and the effectiveness in curing different kinds of psychological illnesses. Hence, the medical team at TMS Boston Clinic is delighted in serving and lifting the lives of its patients with these innovative applications.
The modernizations in TMS technology have been FDA-approved, particularly for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD.) and for those who have not responded well to conventional medications.
1. Deep TMS (dTMS)
As it is called, this refined approach targets deeper areas of the brain that cannot get through by the standard TMS. The H-coil is a unique feature wherein it can reach further regions and may directly influence certain brain activities and neurological processes.
Also, the good thing about deep TMS is that it does not need an increased intensity so the magnetic field can cover a wider scope.
2. Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS)
This therapy sends out bursts of TMS pulses in specific theta frequency or brainwave. It has a pattern of stimulation that is repeated several times in every therapy session. This is completed in less time compared to the traditional.
This showed more substantial and lasting effects on the activities of the brain among those who underwent this treatment.
There are also 2 types of stimulation offered under this category. The continuous TBS (cTBS) and intermittent TBS (iTBS) which are thoroughly evaluated first on what is best applicable for each patient.
Clinicians also gathered favorable results in managing depression and rehabilitating stroke victims using this method. This may also be utilized as a research tool to examine how the brain works and behaves.
3. Combination of TMS and EEG
Medical professionals incorporate a closed-loop strategy where an EEG is used to record signals while TMS therapy is being activated. This examines how the brain engages and reacts to TMS therapy. Clinicians can also extract and identify helpful biomarkers that may influence treatment reactions.
4. Portable TMS Device
This is FDA-approved to be conveniently used at home in utilizing TMS therapy. Also a good alternative for those located far from TMS Boston clinic because it is easy to set up in any location. Even though they come as a compact unit, they can still guarantee to deliver the necessary functions in targeting the specific areas of the brain for therapy.
But despite being flexible, still, it needs professional supervision to make sure the patient is safe and the procedure is carried out efficiently. You can do a teleconsultation to still be guided on certain procedures.
5. Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (nTMS)
This is an advanced technique that uses neuro-navigation to aim at a specific region of the brain for treatment.
Before a patient starts the TMS therapy, he has to have an MRI or CT scan where the images will be used for properly locating the coil. During the session, the nTMS system tracks and guides the coil to have an accurate targeting of the main region involved.
Medical professionals use nTMS in functional mapping for scheduling brain surgery. They also use it in researching some brain processes and neurologic diseases and for presurgical mapping for individuals with brain tumors.
6. Accelerated rTMS
As the name points out, this is a faster way of conducting repetitive TMS therapy. The sessions are reduced to 5 days only instead of the traditional 9 weeks. Multiple sessions are accomplished in a single day with lesser time in each session and still achieve commending outcomes.
SAINT TMS Protocol
The Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy is the newest application of accelerated TMS therapy. It is an intense and individualized method of treatment particularly for those with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.
After several successful clinical trials, FDA permitted this protocol in medical institutions. These trials have been very outstanding due to the high percentages of remissions, approximately about 80% after the actual testing of these individuals for 5 days.
During the study period, a higher number of impulses were administered. Giving it at a faster pace where there would be 10 sessions per day and 10 minutes for each session. Also, there was a 50-minute break between every session.
Victims of major depressive disorder were given hope to perform normally as this situation is life-threatening. It gave remarkable results for people who are suicidal and those who are in a psychiatric emergency since this is a rapid treatment.
Medical experts are still discovering how they can even expand this protocol to a broader scope to help more struggling patients.
Source: Freepik
Final Thoughts
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation definitely has moved forward its approaches and strategies for treating mental illnesses, particularly in people with depression. These advanced discoveries became the treatment of choice for many. Because of being non-invasive and rapid the results have shown successful and promising results.
Choosing the best treatment must still be done in collaboration with a mental health care practitioner. Clinicians must first examine and thoroughly assess the patient which is the best therapy to be administered in his condition.
Check TMS Boston for its variety of treatments as they have been a frontline in implementing innovative therapies and approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will the Patient Experience Elevated Pain while Having TMS Therapy?
Normally it is painless, but patients may feel a tapping sensation on the head during the procedure and is highly tolerated. For some, it may cause little discomfort, but there is no need for patients to be sedated or given anesthesia.
2. What Could be Some of the Side Effects Individuals May Encounter After Every Session?
There can be a slight headache which will go immediately right after each session. Adverse or severe side effects were also rarely noted.
3. Can All the Individuals Suffering from Mental Illness Allow to Have TMS, Therapy?
Not all patients are permitted to experience TMS therapy because there are some restrictions such as having metal implants, aneurysm clips or coils, or deep brain stimulators.
